A Step-by-Step Guide to Perform Salah: Step 9

Are there any differences between men and women in the movements of salah?

The differences are found in the positions of ruku' and sujud. For ruku', men widen their arms, and women keep them closer. During sujud, men have a slightly bigger gap between their hips and stomach, while women keep their arms closer and maintain proximity between their hips and stomach. These distinctions emphasize modesty and comfort during prayer without altering the core elements. 

What breaks/invalidates the salah?

1. Talking, laughing or making any unrelated verbal utterances intentionally

2. Eating or drinking

3. Performing any unrelated movements, such as walking around or gesturing, for three consecutive movements. These are major movements of your limbs and not minor movements such as our fingers or eyelids. 

Uncontrollable actions like sneezing or shivering don't break the prayer.

If a person forgets the raka’at he or she is in, would it invalidate the solat?

The answer is no. However, he would need to choose the number of raka’at he is confident (yaqeen) with - usually being the lesser raka’at. Towards the end of the salah and just before giving the salam, he should perform sujud sahwi.

Sujud sahwi is performed to compensate for an omission or mistake in their prayer. According to the Syafi'i school of thought, it is also sunnah for a person to perform sujud sahwi if he or she forgets or has doubts about fulfilling steps in prayer such as: 

1. The first tasyahhud

2. Dua qunut (subuh prayer)

3. Reciting selawat for the family of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

When you reach the last raka’at and complete step 11 (Selawat Ibrahimiyyah), do not give the salam first. Instead, make a prostration while reciting the dua three times:

سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَسْهُو

Subhaana man la yanaam wa la yas-hu

Glory be to the One Who does not forget or sleep

After the sujud (prostration), move on to the julus (sitting) position. 

Perform another sujud while reciting the dua three times. 

Return to the julus position and end the prayer by saying salam to the right and left without reciting any other dua.

If you’re following an imam in solat, you need to do sujud sahwi when the imam performs the prostration.

Read the previous blog for an introduction to a Step-by-Step Guide to Perform Salah:Step 8